Brooks: Diplomacy sad the Borderlands


to temporize with the-Madison administration Onfi was told to
"seek adroitly to find a means to treat of public affairs with that
government," to use tle newspapers to influence public opinion,
and that, "as our only purpose is to maintain friendly relations
between the two powers, you must use much prudence and
circumspection, in your writings as well as in the conversations
which you have.'"
 Onis distrusted the Republican party of Madison and Monroe,
and throughout his residence in this country never showed any
liking for the two men. He made all the friends he could among the
Federalists, using them as sources of information as well as of
influence. He followed instructions regarding writings by pub-
lishing, among other things, three pamphlets justifying Spain's
interests, which appeared in 1810,1812, and 1817 under the pseudo-
nym "Verus," used earlier by Irujo."
 Despite Onis' nonrecognition, communications went on, in part
 through the British representatives. On Onis' arrival, he reported
 that he would live in the same house in Washington with Francis
 James Jackson, minister from England. His failure to be acknowl-
 edged caused him to retire to Philadelphia, but only increased his
 efforts to win favor with the agents of His Britannic Majesty.
 When Onfs reached Washington, Secretary of State Smith was
 involved in an argument with Jackson, who had come a month
 earlier. That summer, Foreign Minister Canning had rejected the
 Anglo-United States trade revival agreement negotiated by Jack-
 son's predecessor, David M. Erskine. The new minister thus had
 come into the midst of a dispute concerning whether or not Erakine
 had exceeded his instructions. This brought from Jackson a barely
 disguised accusation of falseness on the part of Smith. Relations be-
 tween Jackson and Smith were broken of completely in November.
 Onf maintained Jackson's confidence through 1810, while the
 discredited Englishman remained in this country, and the two
 exchanged information on affairs in Spain and in Spanish Amer-
 ica. Jackson was followed by John Philip Morier, charge, who con-
 veyed some of Onls' complaints on Florida to Smith. He was told
 in reply that England "did not need to interfere in these sub-
 jects.'" Onis in relating the incident commented that England
 surely had the right to interfere, as guarantor of the Floridas to
 Spain under the treaty of 1783.